Category Archives: Green Thoughts

Many companies use safety data sheet software for updating, searching and viewing SDSs. What surprises people is that under the REACH regulation in Europe, companies must produce something called an extended-Safety-Data-Sheet, or e-SDS. REACH regulation is the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization of … Continue reading →

Here comes another layer of “conflict minerals” restrictions. President Obama last week set the stage for expanded sanctions against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and vicinity’s militia-ravaged region. A new Executive Order specifies that sanctions are called for against “individuals and groups … Continue reading →

My longtime friend and industry colleague Pam Gordon blogged today about the role trade associations should play in driving the industry toward sustainability practices. In it, she writes Associations will not necessarily push members to the next level of sustainability … Continue reading →

US Securities and Exchange (SEC) Commission Chair Mary Jo White on April 29 said that the agency will continue to implement the conflict minerals rule upheld by the US Court of Appeals. The SEC has also issued guidance on meeting the May … Continue reading →

In 2011, the European Union issued a new directive that updates and supersedes RoHS; it has come to be known as the RoHS Recast or RoHS 2. Under the updated directive, as of July 22, 2014, RoHS restrictions will apply to … Continue reading →

Over in Europe, the Member State Committee (MSC) has agreed that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) should request further information on six substances. This is the first batch of substance evaluations agreed on by the MSC. Of particular note is the now … Continue reading →

If a mine is controlled by armed groups who use mineral profits to purchase weapons — or other supplies or luxuries — the minerals from the mine are sometimes called conflict minerals. Tantalum, tin, tungsten and gold are useful minerals mined in many parts of the … Continue reading →

Reminder: time is slimming for public feedback on an EU conflict minerals initiative. Here’s the European Commission info page. Insider comments and notes follow below. Insider comments and notes. The Commission says it will use results to help decide whether – … Continue reading →

Currently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) list of conflict minerals consists of four named minerals. They are tantalum, tin, tungsten (referred to as the three T’s) and — no surprise here — gold, which somehow came into being with the … Continue reading →

The most widely used Environmental Management System (EMS) standard in the world is the ISO 14001:2004. Over a quarter-million businesses use it worldwide. It was first published in 1996 with a notable update in 2004. A new and significant revision … Continue reading →